VOLUNTEER

What is a Clinical Trial?

Clinical Research uses volunteer to study the effects of a medication, medical treatment or device. Before a medication, treatment, or device is made available to the public, it must be approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). This requires intensive research into a drug’s ability to treat a condition, its safety, and its possible side effects. Pharmaceutical companies hire Medical Professionals, like those at CRA, to conduct these studies using volunteer patient populations. Results are then sent to the FDA to help it decide if a new medication should be approved for the public.

See if you qualify:

Should I Volunteer?

Every day, research uncovers new information about medical conditions and possible therapies. You and many other people may benefit from your willingness to become involved. The benefits of participating in a trial are numerous, but a few are:

Your involvement in clinical studies could help in the development of new medications.

You may receive investigational therapies before they are available to the general public.

You are taking an active role in your health care.

You will receive free study medications and comprehensive monitoring at no cost to you by participating in a clinical trial.

You may receive financial compensation for your time and travel

Why Participate in a Clinical Trial?

What are the benefits?

Volunteering to participate in a clinical drug trial is one of the best ways you can contribute to the understanding of diseases and the development of new therapies. As a volunteer, you are the most critical link in the chain of research and testing for the development of new medications for a broad range of health problems.

Benefits of volunteering include:

Receiving medical care from physician during the study

Receiving medications before they are available to the open market

Compensation for time and travel

Participating in the research process that may lead to new therapies

There is never a cost to participate in a clinical trial. Medical insurance is not necessary to qualify. Medical care, study medication and laboratory care is provided at no charge to you.

If you are interested in one of our studies or would like to inquire about upcoming studies, please click the “Become a Volunteer” tab at the top of this page.

What to Expect

Before you can participate in a clinical trial you must qualify for that specific trial. The first step toward qualifying is to meet with our Research Coordinator by phone. She will go over the inclusion and exclusion criteria to see if you qualify. “Inclusion criteria” are criteria you must meet to be included in the trial and “exclusion criteria” are things that will disqualify you from the trial.

If you qualify, you will be asked to come to the office for a visit. If all other requirements are met, you will have ample time to review the informed consent document. You will meet with both the Research Coordinator and Physician to answer any of your questions prior to signing the Informed Consent Document. The time frame and requirements of the trial are explained and all questions are answered.

During a trial, you can expect to be given the investigational drug, a placebo or a currently available treatment. You can also expect to be seen by both the doctor and research coordinator at each visit.

At the end of each trial you should expect to return any unused study drug and you will be asked to complete a short questionnaire about your experience. If results of the trials are made public, we will post the them on our website.

Participate in Future Trials

CRA is awarded new trials on an ongoing basis. We are always interested in people who want to volunteer for future trials. If you or anyone you know is interested, please contact our office at 770-507-6867 or Contact Us.

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